Virtual file system

• US 8,434,016 B2
• Filed: 02/21/2005
• Issued: 04/30/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Butlin, Stefan Geoffrey, Clarey, Nicholas Holder, Blaukopf, Jacob Benjamin
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, Matt
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pan, Yongjia
• Application Number:
  US10/598,168
• Publication Number:
  US 20070283280A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,990 Days
• Field of Search: 715/700, 715/733, 715/735, 715744-747, 715/757, 715/760, 715764-767, 715/789, 715/864
• US Class Current: 715/765
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9577 Optimising the visualization of content, e.g. distillation of HTML documents
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/38 for implementing user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/71 Version control security arrangements therefor G06F21/57; Configuration management
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72406 by software upgrading or downloading
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72448 with means for adapting the functionality of the device according to specific conditions
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

A virtual file system is described that enables both real data resources, such as a content file, and virtual data resources, such as a field within a database or a state determined by a mark-up language element, to be accessed through a single root.

Claims

1. A device, comprising:

a storage device for storing a plurality of data resources;

a file system for organizing the plurality of data resources stored in the storage device; and

a user interface for providing user access to the plurality of data resources, the user interface comprising a plurality of hierarchical planes including a first plane corresponding to a mobile network operator, a second plane corresponding to a device manufacturer, a third plane corresponding to a software provider, and a fourth plane corresponding to a device user, the first plane having priority over the second plane, the second plane having priority over the third plane, and the third plane having priority over the fourth plane, wherein displaying a first user interface element from a higher priority one of the plurality of hierarchical planes in a portion of the user interface takes preference over displaying a second user interface element from a lower priority one of the plurality of hierarchical planes,

wherein the file system comprises one or more locations comprising directly addressable data resources and one or more locations comprising indirectly addressable data resources, the indirectly addressable data resources being accessible through a data provider, the file system being configured, in use, to provide a single interface from the user interface to both directly addressable data resources and indirectly addressable data resources, and

wherein the file system comprises a single root that includes both the directly addressable data resources and the indirectly addressable data resources.

2. A device according to claim 1, wherein the directly addressable data resources comprise data content files which, in use, are displayed within the user interface.

3. A device according to claim 1, wherein the indirectly addressable data resources comprise a database and, in use, the result of one or more queries is displayed within the user interface.

4. A device according to claim 1, wherein the indirectly addressable data resources comprise a mark-up language element and, in use, the mark-up language element is rendered and the associated result is displayed within the user interface.

5. A device according to claim 1, further comprising an update manager configured to read an update packet that comprises an update to the file system, wherein the update manager is further configured to generate a network thread and a renderer thread to unpack and install the update, wherein the network thread performs an amount of the update processing.

6. A device according to claim 5, wherein the amount of the update processing is sufficient to interrupt the renderer thread for a shortest possible amount of time.

7. A method of sorting a plurality of data resources within a file system of a device, the method comprising the steps of:

defining one or more locations comprising directly addressable data resources; and

defining one or more locations comprising indirectly addressable data resources, the indirectly addressable data resources being accessible through a data provider,

wherein the file system provides a single interface from a user interface to access both the directly addressable data resources and the indirectly addressable data resources, and wherein the file system comprises a single root that includes both the directly addressable data resources and the indirectly addressable data resources,

wherein the user interface comprises a plurality of hierarchical planes including a first plane corresponding to a mobile network operator, a second plane corresponding to a device manufacturer, a third plane corresponding to a software provider, and a fourth plane corresponding to a device user, the first plane having priority over the second plane, the second plane having priority over the third plane, and the third plane having priority over the fourth plane, and

wherein the method further comprises displaying a first user interface element from a higher priority one of the plurality of hierarchical planes in a portion of the user interface in preference to displaying a second user interface element from a lower priority one of the plurality of hierarchical planes.

8. A method according to claim 7, wherein the method comprises the further step of accessing a directly addressable data resource such that the content of the data resource is displayed within the user interface.

9. A method according to claim 7, wherein the method comprises the further step of accessing an indirectly addressable data resource, the data resource comprising a database such that the result(s) of a database query is displayed within the user interface.

10. A method according to claim 7, wherein the method comprises the further step of accessing an indirectly addressable data resource, the data resource comprising a mark-up language element such that the mark-up language element is rendered and the associated result is displayed within the user interface.

11. A method according to claim 7, further comprising reading an update packet that comprises an update to the file system, and generating a network thread and a renderer thread to unpack and install the update, wherein the network thread performs an amount of the update processing.

12. A method according to claim 11, wherein the amount of the update processing is sufficient to interrupt the renderer thread for a shortest possible amount of time.

13. An apparatus configured to store a plurality of data resources within a file system of a device, comprising:

means for defining one or more locations comprising directly addressable data resources; and

means for defining one or more locations comprising indirectly addressable data resources, the indirectly addressable data resources being accessible through a data provider,

wherein the file system provides a single interface from a user interface to access both the directly addressable data resources and the indirectly addressable data resources,

wherein the file system comprises a single root that includes both the directly addressable data resources and the indirectly addressable data resources,

wherein the user interface comprises a plurality of hierarchical planes including a first plane corresponding to a mobile network operator, a second plane corresponding to a device manufacturer, a third plane corresponding to a software provider, and a fourth plane corresponding to a device user, the first plane having priority over the second plane, the second plane having priority over the third plane, and the third plane having priority over the fourth plane, and

wherein the apparatus further comprises means for displaying a first user interface element from a higher priority one of the plurality of hierarchical planes in a portion of the user interface in preference to displaying a second user interface element from a lower priority one of the plurality of hierarchical planes.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the directly addressable data resources comprise data content files which, in use, are displayed within the user interface.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the indirectly addressable data resources comprise a database and, in use, the result of one or more queries is displayed within the user interface.

16. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the indirectly addressable data resources comprise a mark-up language element and, in use, the mark-up language element is rendered and the associated result is displayed within the user interface.

17. The apparatus according of claim 13, further comprising means for reading an update packet that comprises an update to the file system, and means for generating a network thread and a renderer thread to unpack and install the update, wherein the network thread performs an amount of the update processing.

18. The apparatus according of claim 17, wherein the amount of the update processing is sufficient to interrupt the renderer thread for a shortest possible amount of time.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon a plurality of data resources within a file system of a device and computer-executable instructions configured to cause a computer of the device to perform operations comprising:

defining one or more locations comprising directly addressable data resources;

defining one or more locations comprising indirectly addressable data resources, the indirectly addressable data resources being accessible through a data provider,

wherein the computer-executable instructions are configured to cause a computer of the device to perform operations such that;

the file system provides a single interface from a user interface to access both the directly addressable data resources and indirectly addressable data resources;

the file system comprises a single root that includes both the directly addressable data resources and the indirectly addressable data resources; and

the user interface comprises a plurality of hierarchical planes including a first plane corresponding to a mobile network operator, a second plane corresponding to a device manufacturer, a third plane corresponding to a software provider, and a fourth plane corresponding to a device user, the first plane having priority over the second plane, the second plane having priority over the third plane, and the third plane having priority over the fourth plane, and

wherein the computer-executable instructions are configured to cause a computer of the device to perform operations further comprising displaying a first user interface element from a higher priority one of the plurality of hierarchical planes in a portion of the user interface in preference to displaying a second user interface element from a lower priority one of the plurality of hierarchical planes.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the computer-executable instructions are configured to cause a computer of the device to perform operations such that the directly addressable data resources comprise data content files which, in use, are displayed within the user interface.

21. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the computer-executable instructions are configured to cause a computer of the device to perform operations such that the indirectly addressable data resources comprise a database and, in use, the result of one or more queries is displayed within the user interface.

22. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the computer-executable instructions are configured to cause a computer of the device to perform operations such that the indirectly addressable data resources comprise a mark-up language element and, in use, the mark-up language element is rendered and the associated result is displayed within the user interface.

23. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the computer-executable instructions are configured to cause a computer of the device to perform operations further comprising:

causing the computer to read an update packet that comprises an update to the file system; and

causing the computer to generate a network thread and a renderer thread to unpack and install the update, wherein the network thread performs an amount of the update processing.

24. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 23, wherein the computer-executable instructions are configured to cause a computer of the device to perform operations such that the amount of the update processing is sufficient to interrupt the renderer thread for a shortest possible amount of time.